


10 Years

by aureate



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: (not really though), Alternate Universe, Falling In Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Build, Strangers to Lovers, idol s.coups, producer woozi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-12-26 03:27:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18274838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aureate/pseuds/aureate
Summary: Woozi, the uprising young producer in the industry, was asked to make song for the solo idol S.Coups.(alternatively: the producer au i've always craved for)





	10 Years

 

**( i )**

 

Jihoon downs the rest of his coffee, letting it burn down his throat, and throws the paper cup to the trash bin. It joins the rest of paper cups he has been throwing since last night—5 cups, he mentally counts, not that bad. Some nights could be worse.

He stretches his arms, groaning at the pain his stiff muscles cause. Glancing at the digital clock located at the top right of the screen, he sighs. He only has five minutes to the meeting he has been booked for this morning—the only reason he hasn’t been going home since yesterday. The young producer usually goes home around 4 or 5, cleans himself, and then falls asleep until his alarm wakes him up by lunch. The 10 am meeting screws that cycle up, but he couldn't even complain because it's a part of his job.

“Jihoon,” someone’s voice comes with quick knocks on his door. “He has come, you should come out."

“Yeah. I’ll be there, hyung.” He calls out.

Jihoon lets out another sigh, looking around his messy desk for his phone. He is sure it is under the papers he has scattered around his desk, but which paper? Just when he is about to give up, of course, the phone finally shows itself like the whole effort to look under the papers for it was in vain. He makes sure the battery could last long enough for the meeting before finally placing it in his pocket.

He stops by the mirror standing next to the door, just conveniently placed so he could check out his appearance before going out. The image staring back at him in the mirror screams ‘ _you need to sleep_ ’, but Jihoon ignores it. He rakes his hand through his hair in an attempt to tame some wild strands before placing his polo black cap over it, his black strands weirdly still sticking around. He brushes off a few wild strands of hair sticking onto his hoodie before finally exiting his studio.

The walk towards the meeting room is short—it’s just a floor away from his studio room, and the whole building is small enough he only needs a few long steps to reach the stairs. Bumzu is already waiting for him in front of the room with two cups of coffee in his hands, and Jihoon could never be more grateful towards him.

“Thanks, hyung.” he says, taking one cup from the older’s hand.

“Hmm,” Bumzu hums. “He’s inside, we’re gonna listen to what his management says, and then discuss it comfortably. The kid might look like he wants a lot of things, and I know you dislike people like that, but I swear he is nice to work with. okay?”

Jihoon taps his finger on the warm cup mindlessly, waiting for the heat to evaporate, nodding, “Yeah. You’ve talked about this with me, hyung. I wouldn’t take the offer if I don't want it in the first place.”

“Okay, great.” Bumzu pats on his shoulder twice, grinning proudly. “Let’s get in.”

It is not the first time Jihoon is working with an idol, per se. In fact, the song he produced for a female survival group last year was what got him contacted by a lot of agencies asking for him to work with them, and Jihoon is grateful for the opportunities. But the thing is, sometimes he misses making music just how he likes it, not by how the client would like it.

He has thought about taking a break, just to make his own album, but this one is special. Bumzu hyung has especially asked him to, and he could say no to the senior who has helped him a lot in the process of him making a name for himself.

“Good morning. Nice to meet you.”

Jihoon gives out his business smile to the two people sitting in the room—one of them should be the idol and the other is the manager, but by their looks, they could pass as a duo idol. “Nice to meet you.” He shakes their hands and takes his place on the chair next to Bumzu.

“So, Woozi, this is S.Coups. Coups, this is Woozi.” Bumzu gestures to the shorter man wearing almost identical cap like the one he is wearing, his smile bright and reminds Jihoon of the sun.

Jihoon knows S.Coups; knows his name and his songs playing in the neighborhood whenever he goes home, knows his face from the posters of commercials plastered all over the mini marts in the city, but to finally see him in person like this, it’s a different feeling. He nods his head to acknowledge him.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, from Bumzu hyung,” Coups says, eyes flickering to the older man sitting next to Jihoon. “Thank you so much for agreeing to work with me. I’ve listened to your songs, and I’m truly a fan.”

Jihoon has heard a lot about that, and it never fails making him feel good about himself. He gives a small smile. “It is _my_ pleasure to work with you.”

“Okay, so…” The tall man sitting next to the idol speaks up, and Jihoon understands that he is the manager. He looks younger than the idol, and despite the professionalism he carries around, it is obvious that he respects him.

He listens to the preferences, a brief explanation about the upcoming mini album the idol would have, and the special stress about how Coups wants to participate in the lyrics writing. Jihoon takes notes of all this in his head while he stares at the idol, observing him. The company especially wants a song that brings a new image to the idol, and Jihoon needs to start learning about him.

The idol seems to notice his stare, and smiles at him. Jihoon quickly averts his eyes, too embarrassed for getting caught staring.

  
He looks tired, Jihoon notes. He probably doesn’t have a normal sleep pattern—just like he does—and he looks like he barely eats. Jihoon has seen the articles saying the idol has just finished his activities in Japan, maybe that’s why he looks so worn out. He couldn’t imagine feeling tired and drained out but still having to smile in front of people, maintaining a good image, trying hard not to lash out at annoying people. Idols really have it hard.

  
“I understand,” Jihoon says after the manager finishes talking. “I have a few melodies in mind, but I’ll still have to test it out. I will send you the sample within a week.”

  
The manager nods his head, looking satisfied. “If there is anything you want to discuss about, please contact me so I can arrange a meeting,” he says. Next to him, Coups looks passive about the whole thing, just frowning like the gears inside his head are too busy working to care about the whole thing. Jihoon finds himself being intrigued by the attitude, but disregards the feeling quickly.

  
“I will,” he says instead.

  
“Great. We’re done for the day?” Bumzu asks around, and is content when he is meet with agreement.

  
Jihoon stands up, taking his phone with him and getting ready to leave the room. He lets Bumzu leaves the room first, followed by the manager. The young producer stands back, giving a space for the idol to walk in front of him, but Coups turns around unexpectedly and stands in front of him instead.

  
“Hey, I have something to ask you,” he says, a bit rushed. He has to take a quick glance at the door to make sure the manager and Bumzu aren’t listening. Jihoon raises his eyebrows in question. “Uh, when you’re done with the samples, can you send it directly to me first? I want to hear it first.”

  
“Oh, sure.”

  
“Sorry, it’s just sometimes they limit my freedom in deciding and I just want to…” he trails, suddenly realizes he is rambling. “You can have my kakaotalk, to send the audio.”

Jihoon nods, unlocking his phone. “What’s your number?”

Coups recites his number and makes the young producer send a missed call to his number, and in exchange saves his number as well. “Thanks, Woozi.” He smiles again.

“No problem.”

 

  
**( ii )**

 

 **woozi**  
hey, it’s woozi  
i’m finished with the samples  
_[woozi sent an audio file: coups_sample.mp3]_  
_[woozi sent an audio file: coups_sample2.mp3]_  
lmk what you think 😁

  
Jihoon sighs, closing the chat window with a quick click of the mouse. He rubs his eyes, feeling tired, and checks the time. It’s already too late for dinner; he has declined the offer Bumzu gave to him because he wanted to get the sample done as quick as possible. His stomach starts to protest now it’s starting to remember the lack of food to digest, so Jihoon looks inside his bag for some protein bar he has bought on the way to work this morning.

His phone buzzes with notifications as he tears the wrapping open.

 

 **coups**  
Hi!  
I listened to them!!

  
That was quick, Jihoon thinks, his mouth full of the protein bar as he tries to grip his phone better.

  
**coups**  
I really like them  
But I like the second one better  
I think it suits the album’s image better

  
Jihoon chews on his food, nodding. The second one has a calmer melody, a bit different from the music S.Coups usually does. When the manager said they want a fresh image from the idol, Jihoon could only thought of such kind of song.

 

 **coups**  
I would like to discuss more about this  
Are you free?

  
**woozi**  
yes  
i’m in the studio, if you want to come here

  
**coups**  
Ooh, great  
I’ll be there in 15 mins :]

  
Jihoon wonders if the idol is actually around the area, considering the time given, but then again there are a lot of things one could do around Gangnam. He doesn’t think fifteen minutes would be enough for him to order a portion of jjamppong, so he decides to finally get out of his studio and walks to the pantry, making himself a cup of coffee.

  
His body aches, and his colleague has pointed out how he should start going back to the gym because he looks unhealthy nowadays, having holed up in the studio for god knows how many hours. The thing is, he feels like all his energy has been wiped away from his body each time he goes back from work, and gym just seems like an impossible option.

  
He walks around the building just to loosen up, stopping by Bumzu’s working room in another floor only to find out he and the guys aren’t back from the dinner yet. The thought of it makes him hungry again. He wants chicken and cola, he thinks as he takes another sip of his coffee, rounding another corridor before talking the stairs down to his studio.

  
Someone in a black bucket hat and black adidas training suit is standing awkwardly in front of his door, and Jihoon recognizes the idol immediately.

  
“You’re quick,” he comments, approaching the taller man.

  
“I happen to be around the area,” he says, grinning. “Have you eaten dinner? I’m bringing dumplings.”

  
Ahh, dumplings. Jihoon’s mouth waters now he could smell real food. He presses down the passcode of his studio quickly and opens the door for the two of them. Coups is trailing behind him like a lost puppy, looking around the studio with curious eyes.

  
“You can sit here,” he gestures to the white leather couch in the studio, and Coups places the plastic bag on the coffee table in front of it. Jihoon drags his working chair so he could sit in front of the table. “To be honest, I haven’t had dinner.” He lets out a small chuckle. It isn’t time to feel shy.

  
“Oh,” Coups looks a bit surprised. “You should have said that, I would bring you something more decent.” He takes out the food container out of the plastic bag, as well as the wooden chopsticks. “You should eat first.”

  
Jihoon shakes his head, taking the chopsticks, “It’s okay. I tend to forget about food when I’m working. Thank you for this, really.” He feels a little bit bad to see the idol just sitting there and doing nothing, so he tells him they could discuss while he is eating.

  
“I like the second melody. It’s lighter than what I usually do but still strong,” Coups says after he plays the samples from his phone. Jihoon is still chomping on his dumplings, but manages out an agreeing nod. “The reason why I wanted to work with you is because I secretly want to do ballad.” He laughs.

  
“Ballad?” The producer asks after he swallows a huge chunk of the food.

  
Coups nods his head bashfully. “I actually auditioned with singing, but I got interested in rap and hip hop music when I was training, so I convinced the company to let me have rapping lessons,” he tells him. “And, don’t get me wrong, I love your songs, but your ballads especially appeal to me. It’s a fresh sound, unlike the old music.”

  
Jihoon grins, lowering his head so the other couldn’t see his face well.

  
“And you write beautiful lyrics, so when Bumzu hyung asked me if I wanted to work with you, I really couldn’t hide my excitement,” Coups chuckles. “Sorry if I got too excited with the fanboying.”

  
You’re cute, Jihoon wants to say, but he doesn’t. He places down his chopsticks and looks up at the idol in front of him. Coups is someone who still looks good even barefaced, Jihoon knows this, but he is still surprised to see him up close like this. “Thank you. I’m happy to know someone is appreciating my music.”

  
Coups helps him with tidying up the table after eating. Jihoon has said he could do it by himself, but the idol insisted.

  
“So I’m taking you’re not going for something like _Phenomenon_?”

  
Coups looks up from his phone. His manager has apparently asked about his whereabouts, meaning the idol hasn’t told him about his plans visiting Jihoon’s office, and he has been busy replying messages ever since. “No, not like that.” He says, finally locking his phone and placing it on the table. “You’ve heard of it?”

  
Jihoon nods, “Yeah. I know Bumzu hyung produced it for you. The lyrics are strong, by the way. You like writing lyrics?”

  
“I like pouring my feelings into the song,” he replies shortly, smiling. “But I still can’t do it beautifully like you. _I will bring spring to that smile_ , I really love that line. Smile Flower is my favorite.”

  
Ahh, what to do. The man in front of him is really pressing his buttons and Jihoon couldn’t do anything about it but to smile.

  
“Should I call you hyung? You’re older, right? Is that alright?” Jihoon tries asking.

  
“Oh, sure. Seungcheol, you can call me Seungcheol.”

  
“Seungcheol hyung?” The older man nods his head. “Alright. You can call me by real name as well. It’s Jihoon.”

  
“Jihoon,” Seungcheol tries it on his tongue. “Okay, Jihoon, let’s get to work?”

  
Jihoon chuckles, “Sure, hyung.”

 

  
**( iii )**

 

Working with Seungcheol, Jihoon has to say, is fun. After a month working together, the producer could say he likes working with him. The idol is as invested in music making as he is, and unlike the previous idols he has worked with, Seungcheol is eager to make inputs here and there. This week, with the help of Bumzu, they are slowly piecing the lyrics together.

  
“What’s the song about?” Seungcheol has asked the first time Jihoon showed him the first lyrics draft to guide him with the rap part he wanted to write himself. His doe eyes were scanning Jihoon’s messy handwriting quickly, and the producer felt nervous. The little part of him want the older to be impressed by his lyrics.

  
“Unrequited love,” he replied shortly.

  
“For 10 years? Is that even possible?”

  
Jihoon shrugged, “Sometimes you just have a smile haunting you for the rest of your life.”

  
The idol hummed, not asking any further.

  
Tonight, though, they have stayed in his studio for more than six hours brainstorming about the lyrics, and the writer’s block finally hit them. Seungcheol has whined about it, how he is still unsatisfied having an empty column (Jihoon has wrote it like an exam question: _Write a rap verse about thinking of giving up on the feelings/relationship in general._ )

  
So Jihoon takes him to the rooftop of the building to get some fresh air.

  
“The view is nice,” Seungcheol comments, leaning back against the wall behind the bench he is sitting on. In front of them is the night cityscape, sparkly from the lighted buildings across the city. “You often come here when you feel frustrated?”

  
Jihoon nods. He is standing near the fence, placing both his hands inside his jeans pocket. He takes a deep breath. “It’s not exactly a secret place, but it’s mostly deserted at night. Only a few of us stay up late night to work here.”

  
“Hmm. The wind feels nice,” the older murmurs. When Jihoon turns around to look at him, he is already closing his eyes. He chuckles at the sight.

  
“Do you mind if I smoke?” He suddenly asks, and Seungcheol’s eyes are opened up in an instant.

  
“You smoke?” The older asks back, and Jihoon nods his head. “I don’t mind. Go ahead.”

  
Jihoon takes out the pack out of his jeans pocket, and the lighter. He is not that addicted to smoking, but still it helps with the stress he has built up in him sometimes, so he always brings a pack with him. He wants to quit, he really does, but it’s kind of difficult with the current lifestyle he’s sporting.

  
“Do you smoke, hyung?” He asks, leaning his weight on the metal fence.

  
Seungcheol gets up and walks towards him. There’s this little smile on his face, the one that Jihoon finds himself liking over the month they’re working together. “I used to. But I’m avoiding it now.”

  
“It’s an idol thing, huh?”

  
“Nah,” the idol moves to stand next to the producer, placing his hands on the railing. “I’m just trying to stop.” He turns to look at the younger man and smiles.

  
Jihoon can’t resist him. “Want one?” He offers the lit cigarette stick he has between his fingers, and immediately regrets it.

  
“Are you trying to corrupt me, Jihoon?” Seungcheol’s words are nothing but soft bark, and the producer feels stupid. He shrugs, deciding to draw back the cigarette into his mouth before he feels more stupid, but the idol takes the stick by surprise. He easily places the cigarette between his lips, inhaling a long one into his lungs, and Jihoon thinks he has never seen anything as beautiful.

  
“You’re stealing my stick,” Jihoon says, after the breath stolen away from his lungs is finally back.

  
Seungcheol chuckles, “Weren’t you the one giving it to me?” He takes another drag of the smoke, and Jihoon has a feeling he just feed a big zebra to a lion.

  
“If your manager scolds you later, I don’t want to take responsibility,” he says instead, huffing as he takes out another stick and lights it up. Seungcheol looks down at him with an amused smile, but he tries to ignore the heaviness of his eyes on him.

  
“Don’t worry. Mingyu likes me,” the older jokes. Jihoon has learned to live with it. “Can I ask you something?”

  
The producer feels his heart almost jumping out of his chest, but he keeps calm. “Shoot away.”

  
“Did you attend SOPA?” He asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice that Jihoon learns only comes out whenever he isn’t sure of himself. “I just remembered there’s this Lee Jihoon attending a year below mine, but I’m not sure if it’s you.”

  
Jihoon gulps. Never in his dream he thought the older would ask the question, and he has no choice but to be honest. “Yes.” In fact, Jihoon remembers a Choi Seungcheol attending a year ahead of him, majoring in acting. He never forgets.

  
“Wow, the world is small, huh.” Seungcheol lets out a small laugh, but the younger only smiles at him. “It’s been, what, ten years? I forgot how school feels.”

It pierces Jihoon straight in his chest, making him almost coughing up the smokes he has pooling in his mouth. He tries to calm his heart down, clinging on one thought: _He wouldn’t know_. “Yeah. It’s already a blessing that I graduated,” he tries to answer as natural as possible.

  
Seungcheol giggles at his answer. The idol finishes his cigarette and puts it out by stepping over it. He sniffs at his clothes, expresses his distaste at the smell, but says nothing. He waits for Jihoon to finish his own cigarette, tapping his fingers on the metal railing as he hums onto the melody of their unfinished song. “Oh!” He exclaims after a few minutes of silence. “I found it. The lyrics.”

  
The younger man tilts his head, questioning. He understands that muse or inspiration might come at weird moments—he usually gets them in the toilet—but he is actually a bit curious which part of their conversation has triggered the lyrics to come out. It is a question he could never ask the older man, of course. “Okay,” he says. "Let's try it."

  
Seungcheol opens his mouth, and starts rapping.

 

  
_I can’t express my feelings because I’m not good at them_  
_Because I want to be your tomorrow I lived through today_

  
_I can’t express my feelings because I lacked courage_  
_If only I knew about love a little bit earlier_

  
_From the first day I saw you until now_  
_There’s only you in my heart_

 

Suddenly Jihoon wants to laugh, because there’s only a few mocking he can receive from the universe. This one is too much, he thinks as he holds himself from crying, or laughing, or both. He should probably start apologizing to everyone in his life to free himself from karma.

  
“Is it okay?” Seungcheol asks, his voice still a bit breathy from the rap.

Jihoon couldn’t find his voice, so he gives the older a thumb up instead.

 

 

**( iv )**

 

 **coups hyung**  
Jihoon  
Hoon  
Jihoon  
Jiiihoooon

  
**woozihoon**  
yes hyung?

  
**coups hyung**  
Where are you?

  
**woozihoon**  
i’m eating out

  
**coups hyung**  
This late?????

  
**woozihoon**  
couldn’t eat earlier  
sup hyung?

  
**coups hyung**  
Oh  
Nothing  
It’s just  
I’m in front of your studio door?  
Haha

  
**woozihoon**  
huh  
what are you doing?

  
**coups hyung**  
I just thought I could visit  
And the security guy let me in to the building haha

  
**woozihoon**  
oh hyung i’m sorry  
i didn’t know you’d come

  
**coups hyung**  
It’s ok I didn’t tell u either haha

  
**woozihoon**  
you can wait inside  
174143#  
the passcode

  
**coups hyung**  
Thank you ^-^  
Have a nice dinner!

  
**woozihoon**  
do you want me to bring you anything?

  
**coups hyung**  
I’m on a diet!!  
Eat a lot so you can grow taller ^-^

  
**woozihoon**  
i’m deleting your song tonight

  
**coups hyung**  
So mean!!

  
“Who’s that?”

  
Jihoon quickly locks his phone and places it in his pocket before looking up and meeting Bumzu’s questioning eyes. The whole dinner outside ordeal was suggested by the older man naturally, and Jihoon is thankful he could get join them this time. He doesn’t know how he would feed himself otherwise. Although, the knowledge of Seungcheol waiting for him in his studio kind of makes him want to rush back to the company. He holds himself.

  
“No one,” he says, quickly getting back to his bowl of jajjangmyeon to avoid more questions, but of course Bumzu has a good sense.

  
“It wouldn’t be ‘no one’ if it made you smile like a teenager like that,” Bumzu comments.

  
“Who’s smiling like a teenager?” Kitae turns his head to their side, suddenly interested in their conversation, and Jihoon turns red.

  
“You are, Kitae. Stop drinking.” Bumzu scoffs instead, causing the other to laugh and get back to converse with the other guys.

  
Jihoon doesn’t say anything, but he could feel the heavy stare from the older guy persisting him to answer. He awkwardly picks up his cola and takes a sip of nothing—he emptied the can a while ago. “It’s Seungcheol hyung.”

  
“Oh?”

  
“He came to my studio.”

  
“And…?”

  
Jihoon sighs, knowing he couldn’t get anywere to run off when it comes to Bumzu. He is like his own older brother, guiding him not only with producing and composing, but also life in general, and love, sometimes. Jihoon doesn’t really think about relationships, but sometimes he gets lonely and Bumzu gets it.

  
“I gave him the passcode to my studio.”

  
The answer gets Bumzu gasping, a hand quickly brought up to cover his mouth. “Seriously?”

  
The young producer shyly nods his head, suddenly feeling dizzy, and he didn’t even drink any alcohol tonight. He has some conscience for his stomach.

  
“Lee Jihoon, there are basically no single soul know about your studio passcode except yourself.” The mischievous smile playing on Bumzu’s lips is not unpleasant, but Jihoon feels like running away seeing it.

  
“I can’t have him waiting outside, hyung,” he argues, knowing it is pointless yet still hoping it would get the older off his space for a while.

  
Surprisingly, Bumzu lets him off with such a weak argument. “We should hurry then, can’t make him wait too long.”

  
Later when they walk back to the office building after some random chat over another round of soju and beer, Bumzu nudges the young producer who is having both his hands buried deep inside his hoodie’s pockets because the night is starting to get cold.

  
“Check your instagram,” the older says shortly, leaving Jihoon in confusion.

  
He fishes out his phone, quickly entering his lock code before opening the said photo sharing app, curious of what to cause Bumzu to notify him so suddenly. There is a new notification alert, some from the likes he receives on his latest post, some from new followers, and one is from Bumzu tagging him in a comment.

  
**bumzu91** @woozi_universefactory

  
It doesn’t say anything else, and when Jihoon glances up, Bumzu is already walking far at the front having a light conversation with Kitae so he couldn’t ask him. Sighing, Jihoon clicks on the comment to see which post Bumzu is tagging him on.

  
Once it loads, it doesn’t take Jihoon long to recognize the setting of the room displayed in the picture—the familiar blue hue, the chair, the sofa and the table, the monitor, the speakers… But his heart squeezes the most when he scrolls a bit further to see the caption of the post.

  
**sound_of_coups** Home sweet home

  
Jihoon has to make sure, because he isn’t following him on instagram and he has never thought of looking for him on instagram even though there’s a high possibility of Bumzu following him, and clicks on the username. Seungcheol’s instagram is full of his daily selca of similar poses, which makes Jihoon smile, and some photoshoots. Jihoon also recognizes pictures at the gym where Seungcheol captioned with ‘Photo by M📸’, which is very clear that it’s indicating the manager.

  
He finds himself liking some pictures without thinking, and then feeling embarrassed when it comes to his realization. He decides to hit the blue follow button to save himself from further embarrassment, and types a quick comment under the post of his studio.

  
**woozi_universefactory** 👍🏻

  
He hopes he is not being too obvious.

  
When they finally reach the building and Bumzu waves him off to go back working on the album he is producing with the other guys, Jihoon suddenly feels nervous. The walk upstairs towards his own studio feels long, and he doesn’t know what to do when he sees the idol later, if he is still around, that is. He checks his phone, just to make sure Seungcheol hasn’t texted him about leaving or anything, because he honestly doesn’t like feeling like this only to be disappointed later. Well, it’s not that he’s gonna be disappointed just by Seungcheol going back home.

  
He sighs, mentally telling himself ‘ _whatever_ ’, before pressing the passcode to his studio door, waiting for the unlocking sound to come out and finally turning the handle to open the door.

  
Jihoon has expected Seungcheol to sit on his chair, poking around his pc or just sitting on the couch playing with his phone. What he doesn’t expect is the sight of the idol drowned in his navy Balenciaga Speedhunter oversized hoodie, which Jihoon has seen for quite a few times already, and baggy jeans, laying on the grey couch, sleeping soundly.

  
“Hyung…?” He calls out, closing the door behind him as soft as possible to make minimal sound.

  
Seungcheol doesn’t budge, still snoring lightly on the couch. His hair are sticking out under the hood, and Jihoon can see just how tired he is. Ignoring the loud beating in his chest, the producer walks quietly to approach the older man, observing his sleeping face closer.

  
The idol looks so peaceful like this, being deep in sleep, a look Jihoon has never seen before on him. The past one and a half month has gotten the producer to know a lot about the idol; the way his eyebrows furrow when he is thinking, the way he laughs when Bumzu cracks a joke, the excitement in his eyes when Jihoon teaches him small things about producing, but never this one. He looks vulnerable, and Jihoon’s fingers ache to brush the strands of his fringe that fall and cover his eyes.

  
Jihoon clenches his fists, holding them back from doing things he might regret later, and steps back, gathering himself properly.

  
Just as he is about to walk towards his pc, a vibrating sound comes from the phone lying on the low table—Seungcheol’s. The screen flashes off the manager's name, written under ‘NoisyMingyu’ specifically, and Jihoon is torn between pressing the red button or to let it wake the idol up. Seungcheol only grunts, frowning in his sleep, but making no move to wake up, and Jihoon feels really bad for him.

  
He picks up the phone, hoping Seungcheol doesn’t mind this, and presses on the green button to connect the call.

  
“Hello?”

  
“Seungcheol hyung?”

  
Jihoon takes a deep breath before finally answering, “This is Woozi.”

“Oh? Hyung is at your place, Woozi hyung? No wonder he’s not at the gym.” The manager sounds like he is pouting, the usual face he pulls whenever the idol does something out of his favor. “Can I speak to him?”

The producer lowers his eyes, looking at the sleeping face of the idol, and contemplates whether to wake him up or not. He could, of course, it is Seungcheol’s phone anyway, and it is not a random caller. The manager is just worried about the idol’s whereabouts. But Jihoon is feeling selfish, like maybe he wants to have him around just a little bit more.

“He’s going for the toilet, Mingyu,” Jihoon says, and at the very same moment he finishes his sentence, Seungcheol’s eyes flutter open. The idol blinks his eyes twice and then stares up straight meeting the producer’s eyes, all while he holds his breath from the surprise.

“I see. Can you please tell him to call me when he’s back?”

  
Jihoon releases his breath, still maintaining eye contact with the sleepy idol, and speaks into the phone, “Yeah. Okay.”

“Thank you, hyung.” The manager says before he hangs up the call.

“Good morning, hyung,” he jokes, offering the phone to its rightful owner who is apparently still sleepy that it takes him about seven awkward seconds before he finally takes the phone.

  
“What time is it? Was that Mingyu?” The idol asks with a raspy voice, still hoarse from the sleep, and it sends chills throughout Jihoon’s skin.

  
Jihoon checks his own watch to confirm the time. “Just a bit before 11. Yeah, that was him. Are you running away from him, hyung?”

  
Seungcheol hums lightly as he scrolls through his phone, checking the chats to see if there are anything urgent for him. “Kind of? I was supposed to be at the gym but I got lazy.”

  
“So you decided to come here?”

  
The idol looks up from his phone, “I can’t?”

  
Jihoon chuckles nervously, trying not squirm under the powerful gaze disguised by innocence, “Of course you can. Maybe a warning next time? So I could know what to answer to Mingyu’s call?”

  
“But that’s the point of running away, Jihoon. You don’t tell anyone,” Seungcheol says, grinning. He finally decides to get up to a sitting position, stretching his sore muscles he got from sleeping on the couch. “Did I sleep for long?”

  
“I don’t know. I’ve just gotten back too.” He says, giving the older a small smile at the end of his sentence. He has placed his hands in his pants pocket again.

  
Seungcheol sighs, leaning back and letting the back of his head hit the wall behind the couch. “I need to call Mingyu. You’re going to get back to work, anyway. I shouldn’t stay longer.” His voice sounds really tired, and Jihoon feels sorry. Of course he works late, and there are times where he doesn’t get to sleep at all, but to imagine the burden on the idol’s shoulder, it feels incomparable.

  
The older man is pressing his phone to his ear, the ringing tone loud enough that Jihoon hears it clearly, waiting for his manager to pick up, and Jihoon finds himself saying, “You can stay here longer, hyung. I don’t mind.” And, when Seungcheol’s eyes meet his followed by a soft click and ‘Hello?’ from the other end of the call, he adds, “I like having you around.”

 

He probably imagines the dark hue of red blossoming on the older’s cheeks, the way Seungcheol ducks his face to speak to the phone makes it harder for him to see. However, he thinks the heat creeping up to his own cheeks is real when he hears him says, “Mingyu? I’m still working on something here. Can you pick me up in one or two hours?”

 

 

**( v )**

 

They celebrate the last recording day by going out for dinner with almost all the guys involved in the song making, yes, including Bumzu and the other guys, and Mingyu, at Seungcheol’s request. There’s this barbeque place just two blocks away from the office, and the idol, even though it’s unnecessary because there is no guarantee for success yet, insists to pay for the meal.

  
Jihoon sits naturally at the end of the table, next to the idol himself and across Bumzu, letting himself being fed so well by those two people. It’s not like he doesn’t cook at dinner like this, but apparently Mingyu is the most skilled cook of them all, so he takes care of that. Seungcheol points out that his manager is also the youngest in the group, earning laugh and playful comments by the guys. It’s weird to see his colleagues and the idol plus his manager blend in so easily.

  
Seungcheol frowns when he realizes the young producer is ordering another bowl of rice after two bowls already. “Jihoon,” he scolds, “you should eat more meat instead of rice. This is why you don’t grow vertically!” He adds more cooked meat to the younger’s plate.

  
Jihoon pouts, “I like rice.” He replies, feeling offended. Rice is good and contains good nutritions!

  
“You should listen to him, Jihoon.” Bumzu comments from across him, trying to hide his laughter. No one has ever commented about the younger’s love for rice before, and it’s amusing to see him couldn’t even argue about that.

  
“Eat the meat,” Seungcheol demands, and Jihoon shoves a good amount of meat into his mouth just to have the older beams up at him. “Good boy,” he cheerfully says, reaching out to ruffle the young producer’s hair with his free hand, oblivious to the effect it has on the younger.

  
Seungcheol pays the whole dinner with his own money, even after having Mingyu insisting he could pay with their company’s card. He is a nice person, and Jihoon feels so thankful to have worked with him. He waits outside the restaurant with the other guys, a stick of cigarette between his lips. It’s getting even colder nowadays, and while Jihoon is a hot blooded Busan man, he thinks of starting wearing more layers tomorrow.

  
“You should go straight home,” Bumzu tells him. “You’ve worked hard for the song, Jihoon. Just go home today.”

  
The young producer puffs out the smoke left in his mouth, considering the offer. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he goes home at normal working hours, working until the morning has been a natural routine for him. Maybe he should take it.

  
“We’re done!” The idol cheerfully exclaims when he exits the restaurant with the manager in tow. “Thank you everyone.”

  
“Good luck with everything, Coups,” Bumzu hugs him, adding a squeeze on his shoulder when he pulls apart. “Are you going home?”

  
“Yup. I have nothing to do for the rest of the night,” he smiles, all dimples and blinding sun, and Jihoon turns his face away so he couldn’t be blinded. His eyes meet with the manager’s instead, and he nods his head in regard. “Are you guys going back to the office?”

  
Bumzu nods, “Except for Mr. Woozi here, he’s going to take the rest he deserves.”

  
“Oh?” Seungcheol turns to look at him, looking interested.

  
Jihoon doesn’t do well under his stare, so he pretends to be fiddling with his cigarette, staring anywhere but the idol’s eyes.

  
“Where is your house, hyung?” He certainly doesn’t expect the idol’s manager to be asking that question.

  
“It’s not far from here. I usually take bus,” he answers carefully, remembering how the night is actually still young and the bus might be packed with people coming home from work.

  
Just out of nowhere though, Mingyu says the most unexpected answer to his reply. “Oh. You can come with us, I’ll drop you off in front of your house.”

  
Seungcheol blinks, clearly unexpecting this turn of event, but he isn’t unpleased. The corners of his lips lift up before he reaches out to pat the taller guy’s back. “That’s right, Jihoon. Mingyu drives really well.”

  
As if that’s a reason for him to consider the offer, Jihoon thinks, panicking internally. It’s very tempting, of course, even if the distance is short enough for him to take a taxi instead of having to cramp inside the public bus, because then he doesn’t have to pay for anything and—and he gets to spend more time with the idol. He gives his inner thought a small kick by angrily smashing the cigarette he smoked to the ground.

  
“Alright,” he replies before he could stop his stupid mouth.

  
And that’s how he finds himself sitting in the middle of the idol’s car after entering the details of his house in the gps device, listening attentively to the idol and his manager bickering in the front like they are actual brothers. It’s cute, Jihoon admits if could subside the small, flickering jealousy he feels whenever the tall manager follows the idol around like a kicked puppy even though it’s literally his job. It’s not like he has… chances anyway.

  
Still, the sight of Seungcheol playfully shaking the manager’s arm off even though he’s in the middle of driving and laughing through the younger man’s whines gives Jihoon’s stomach some sort of warm feeling.

  
It doesn’t take long until the car enters the familiar scenery of his neighborhood, and Jihoon gives Mingyu detailed instruction about the turns because apparently the gps gives a longer route. The younger guy insists he would drop him off at his building instead of just stopping at the bus stop just five minutes walk away. Jihoon wonders if all idol managers are this nice or it’s just this combo.

  
“Thanks for the lift,” Jihoon says when the car is finally parked at the basement of his building, getting ready to open the door when suddenly there’s a sound of unbuckled belt, and he suddenly feels alerted.

  
“I’ll walk you to your door,” Seungcheol says cheerfully, and when the young producer waits for his manager to say something, stop him from doing it because they have to rush home maybe, he doesn’t.

  
He panics for the nth time that day. “You don’t have to, hyung. It’s just an elevator ride away—"

  
“It’s okay. I want to,” the idol replies, turning his head to flash Jihoon a comforting smile before he opens his door and gets out.

  
Jihoon turns to look at the manager expectantly, really hoping the tall guy would do something about his idol because if he doesn’t, Jihoon is screwed.

  
“What? You can get off, hyung. I’m not going to cockblock you two or anything.”

  
“What is that even supposed to mean?!” Jihoon feels his cheeks heating up, and that must be obvious because Mingyu is laughing straight at his face.

  
“Just go, hyung. I’m going to play a round of Candy Crush here.”

  
Jihoon mutters ‘This fucking brat’ under his breath as he roughly gets off the car, wanting to slam the door off but he wouldn’t want to take responsibility for any damage.

  
“Do you live alone?” Seungcheol asks when they are finally in the elevator and Jihoon pressed the button for the 12th floor, suddenly dreading over the slowness the elevator is having.

  
“Yes,” he says, and then nothing. He doesn’t know what to say, and it feels awkward. He is supposed to move on from the idol now they don’t have to meet regularly, but Seungcheol seems to be very keen to keep their friendship at close.

  
The older hums in response, hands in his pockets and head lifted up, observing the elevator’s interior like it’s suddenly the most interesting thing on earth. Jihoon can’t blame him though.

  
The bell dings, announcing their destination level, and the door opens. Jihoon lets the idol walk out first, guiding him to his door that suddenly feels far enough from the elevator.

  
“This is me,” Jihoon announces when they finally get to the front of his unit, suddenly feeling awkward. He looks up, meeting Seungcheol’s expectant eyes, and curses his heart for suddenly jumping out of his chest. “Do you, uhm, do you want to come in?” It’s stupid, he tells himself, but he couldn’t help it. Maybe he did it out of politeness.

  
“Nah, Mingyu is waiting for me, remember?” Of course Jihoon remembers, but the sad smile playing on the older’s face makes him feel somewhat better. “Next time, maybe.”

  
“Yeah. Okay. You know where to find me,” the young producer offers him a smile.

  
Seungcheol’s smile does brighten, thank fuck, and then steps forward, reaching out to ruffle Jihoon’s hair, “Thank you for everything, Jihoon,” he says, his fingers lingering for at the top of his head for one, two pause before slowly making its way to the back of the head, and then lower, finally resting at his nape, the weight of it oddly feels intimate. Jihoon could feel his cheeks burning, and judging by the tip of the idol’s ears being bright red, he is not the only one being affected. “You know that I was the one begging Bumzu hyung to have a collab with you, right?”

  
“ _What?_ —”

  
Seungcheol laughs, slowly releasing his grip, and Jihoon wants to cry for the loss of skin contact and for the confusion the older caused by his words. It’s too much for him to handle.

  
“Hyung what do you—“

 

“Good night, Jihoon,” Seungcheol pulls back, giving him a small salute and a wide grin, and then without even waiting for the younger to say it back, he walks away.

 

 

**( vi )**

 

The day of the song release gets Jihoon feeling restless and nervous, more than usual. He drags his feet to the pantry to get another cup of coffee, like adding more caffeine in his system would somehow solve the unexplainable nervous rhythm of his heartbeat. In fact, he has considered that maybe coffee is the reason behind it, but tries to ignore.

  
The needles of his watch shows that it’s only two hours to the release of the song, and Jihoon shouldn’t care, really, but he is affected more than he should be. Afterall, the song’s title has _(Prod. by Woozi)_ , and it carries his name heavier than songs he has produced previously.

  
They have released the teaser of the song a week ago, and it raised more reaction from the public more than he has expected. Apparently people aren’t only interested in it being S.Coups’ song, but also because it’s a song he produces after a year of working lowly. Seungcheol has pointed this to him with a proud smile emoji, thanking him again for the song, and he brushed it off with, ‘We don’t know until its actual release, hyung.’

  
His phone suddenly pings with notification, and he checks it while sipping on his coffee on his way back to his studio.

  
**coups hyung**  
are you at the studio?

  
**woozihoon**  
yup

  
**coups hyung**  
busy?

  
**woozihoon**  
not really

  
**coups hyung**  
can i come??  
i’m nervous >_<

  
Jihoon feels his breath hitching, not expecting the sudden fluttering of butterflies inside his stomach. He pauses to punch in the passcode of his studio, walking in casually like nothing happened, and sitting down on his chair, collecting his breath before he finally types back.

  
**woozihoon**  
you’re not the only one :)  
of course

  
**coups hyung**  
ok!! i’ll tell mingyu

  
After the day Seungcheol and Mingyu dropped him off in his apartment, Jihoon has expected the texting to stop, but apparently he has underestimated the idol. He texted him the first thing in the next morning, and even though it’s stopping him from moving on, the young producer feels relieved that Seungcheol still wanted to keep contact with him.

  
After that, they keep texting regularly, not too intense but still enough to show how the idol cares for him. Sometimes he asks random questions, sometimes when it’s obvious the idol is having a bad day, he would ask about deeper questions, and Jihoon answers them diligently.

  
He waits in his studio while tweaking with the application, going back to work on the song draft Bumzu asked him to help with for the upcoming comeback of an idol group. Honestly he couldn’t even concentrate with the song release in a few hours and the knowledge that Seungcheol is going here, instead of all other places, to hang out with him because he feels nervous. His stomach lurches at the thought, no matter how much his brain tells it not to.

  
The sound of his lock being opened from outside alerts Jihoon. Like Bumzu has said, even no one in the office knows about his passcode lock and to this day he is still questioning his decision to tell the idol instead. The door opens, and Jihoon smiles, already anticipating the older’s entrance.

  
“Hi, hyung,” he greets from his comfortable working chair.

  
Seungcheol flashes him a smile before he walks in, placing a plastic bag on the low table. “I bought some snacks.”

  
By ‘some snacks’, Jihoon knows it’s naturally going to be a few cans of cola for himself, an ice cream for the idol, and some light popcorn snack. It has been a ritual since the early days of them working together. True enough, the idol rummages through the plastic bag and conjures up an ice cream—a strawberry lolly—and unwraps it happily.

  
“Aren’t you watching your diet?” The young producer asks amusedly.

  
“That’s why I need to finish this before Mingyu comes here.” Seungcheol grins cheekily.

  
“Ah,” Jihoon nods his head, already used to the idol’s small antics. He takes a can of cola from the bag and opens it for himself. “Where’s he?”

  
“Taking call from the person I’ll shoot tomorrow with,” the idol says shortly, too busy concentrating on the lolly in his hand.

  
“Busy day tomorrow?”

  
Seungcheol nods, “Yeah, we got some magazine shoots to do for my upcoming comeback,” he pauses, then turns to look at the producer sitting near the working table. “Our song is just a pre-release, but I still get nervous about it. Am I weird?”

  
Jihoon takes a gulp of his cola, trying not to think about how the idol refers to the song they were working together as ‘our song’, because it’s technically their song, it just feels more… intimate when the idol talks about it like that.

  
“Not really. I’m nervous, too.”

  
Seungcheol sighs, already finishing his lolly, and stretches his arms before he takes a comfortable position on the couch. He pulls out his phone and poses a few times for something that looks like selca, it makes Jihoon chuckle.

  
“What?” The idol asks, stopping at taking pictures and looking at the young producer instead.

  
“Nothing. Are you going to upload that?” He asks, still grinning amusedly.

  
“Yup. Can I tag you?” He is back on taking pictures, this time looking for a better angle to show his face better.

  
“Of course, hyung,” Jihoon says. He watches the older taking pictures for a few more minutes before he gets bored and turns his chair around facing the monitor, trying to get back to the work he was doing before the older has arrived. About ten minutes later he gets a notification on his phone telling him that Seungcheol has tagged him in his instagram post. He presses on the notification line to open the application.

  
**sound_of_coups** An hour to the release of ’10 Years’! Please give a lot of love to the song @woozi_universefactory and I have worked really hard on! This song is gonna show a different side of me. Curio~us right? Make sure to set your alarm to 6pm everyone~ 😝 #10Years_ProdbyWoozi

  
Jihoon lets out a small laugh, tapping twice on the picture and then deciding to leave a comment.

  
**woozi_universefactory** 😹 #10Years_ProdbyWoozi_SungbyScoups

  
“What’s with you and emoji only comments, really?” Seungcheol asks.

  
“I added a hashtag, hyung,” he replies nonchalantly, knowing it would annoy the older.

  
Seungcheol indeed doesn’t sound like he’s satisfied with the reply, but he lets it off. He seems to be busy with his phone, so Jihoon is going back to work on the song as well. Some times in the middle, the idol would ask him about parts of the song and gives suggestion to make it flow better, and Jihoon doesn’t mind, really. He has found himself enjoying working with the idol, liking how their taste in music seems to be in the same wavelength.

  
After this… After this things might not be the same anymore; him getting back to his lifestyle, holed up in his studio creating music, and Seungcheol, being the star he is, will be going back under the spotlight he deserves to light him up. Jihoon should not be getting accustomed to the routine they have had these past few months, should known himself that stars are meant to be looked from afar, but maybe somewhere along the way, he has let his guard down and allowed himself to hope.

  
Hope is a tricky thing, though. There are some reasons to why it is in the Pandora’s Box in the first place, although not let out. Jihoon knows all this, and despite his brain telling him repeatedly, his heart acts on his free will. And Jihoon doesn’t mind, really, for things to stay like this, for him to be only allowed to observe from afar.

  
He glances at the clock, checking the current time. It is ten minutes into the release, and Jihoon could hear Seungcheol still busy typing on his phone, probably sending messages to everyone to stream his song once it’s out on the streaming sites. Ten minutes, and after that the idol doesn’t have any obligation to visit his office to discuss about the song, or to text him.

  
Jihoon closes his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest. He lets out a long breath before turning his chair around, facing the idol seated comfortably on the couch.

  
“Hyung, I need to tell you something,” he says softly, a bit unsure if this is a good idea or not. But he thinks of Seungcheol’s words he heard when the older walked him to his door, and maybe it is okay for him to say something too.

  
“Hmm?” The idol isn’t looking up from his phone until a long pause, suddenly realizing that Jihoon isn’t going to talk without him paying attention. “What’s wrong, Jihoon?”

  
Jihoon gives him a small smile, “I just—I just want to say thank you. I’ve actually been a fan of you since the beginning of your career, and although I hesitated at first, I really enjoyed working with you, hyung. I think you are a really good man, and you’ll make it even bigger than today soon.”

  
“Jihoon—“ Seungcheol places his phone on the table, his attention fully on the young producer now. “Hey, that should be my line. I really like your songs, love how you write the lyrics so beautifully. Did I mention I was the one begging Bumzu hyung to persuade you to work with me?” He finishes with a light laugh that brings up a smile to Jihoon’s face.

  
The young producer smiles nervously, suddenly can’t think with a clear head. He knows Seungcheol has picked up the sudden change of air in the room, but he still can’t bring himself to say anything.

  
“Jihoon, is there anything else?” Seungcheol asks carefully, his expression softens.

  
Jihoon wants to laugh. He has a lot to say, actually, but they are all jumbled together in his head and he doesn’t know how to tell him. He lowers his head, closing his eyes and praying for some miracle to stop his eyes from feeling hot, the least thing he wants for the day are tears.

  
He doesn’t realize how Seungcheol has stood up and walked up to him, not until he feels a pair of warm hands pressing against his cheeks and lifting his head up, forcing him to meet the pair of dark brown eyes filled with worry.

  
“Are you okay?” Seungcheol asks, but all Jihoon could think of is the closeness between them, and he wants to run away. “Jihoon?”

  
“Yeah,” he breathes out. “Yes, hyung, I’m okay.” He tries to avert his gaze, but the way of the older’s thumb suddenly stroking his cheek slowly gets him sending questioned look to him instead.

  
“Look, I might be reading this wrong, and you’re free to say no,” the older says softly. “But I’ve been wanting to kiss you since the first day I saw you in the meeting room, Jihoon, and I think you feel the same too?” He looks uncertain and a bit nervous, but Jihoon couldn’t blame him. He is not the most obvious person on Earth.

  
“What if I told you,” Jihoon starts, “that the song, the unrequited feelings for ten years, is always about you, hyung?”

  
Seungcheol doesn’t even say anything, diving straight to press his lips against the younger’s. It is brief, just a slight touch, like the older is unsure about it and contemplating if he should undo everything. Jihoon takes the pause as a opportunity to bring up his hand to the other’s face, holding it gently, and then tilt his head up to press another kiss to the other’s lips. He could feel Seungcheol smiling just slightly into the kiss, one of his hands moving to rest firmly just below Jihoon’s nape, fingers curling around his neck.

  
Jihoon closes his eyes as Seungcheol adds more pressure into the kiss, tentatively parting his lips to see the older’s reaction. The idol takes the invitation, gently gliding his tongue across the young producer’s bottom lip, causing him to produce a small noise at the back of his throat. His hands fall down from the older’s face, finding their way to the front of his chest instead, clutching on his hoodie a bit too tightly, and Jihoon might be imagining it, but he thinks he could feel the other’s heartbeat if he presses his palm hard enough against the sturdy chest.

  
Seungcheol kisses with eagerness he has always shown whenever he is genuinely curious about things, like that one day he asked the younger to teach him to play guitar, and Jihoon thinks he would never get tired of this.

  
When they finally pull apart, hair sticking out of their place and lips glistening pink, Seungcheol opens his mouth to speak first, “How could you tell me that in, like—“ he pauses to check the digital clock sitting at the corner of Jihoon’s screen. “—five minutes before the song release!”

  
Jihoon just laughs, still feeling delighted from the kiss and unable to form coherent words. He just looks up at the state the idol is in, wondering if he looks as happy as he is, and the idol leans down to steal a light peck on his lips.

  
“High school, really?” Seungcheol tries again after gaining more composure and having his braincells finally connected. Jihoon could only nod shyly. “Oh, Jihoon. To think that I asked you when we were at the rooftop that day!”

  
The younger breaks into giggles, suddenly finding everything too funny, “You weren't exactly the brightest student, hyung. I wouldn’t expect you to get better now that you’re older,” he teases, gaining another pout from the older man.

  
Seungcheol leans down, placing his forehead on the other’s shoulder. It feels intimate now when he does things like this, like Jihoon could feel his shoulder burning from the heat radiating from the other’s cheeks too, and he couldn’t blame him. “I’m sorry that you had to wait for ten years, Jihoon. I really had no idea…”

  
“Don’t feel sorry, hyung. I didn’t tell you either, remember?” He says softly, adding a soft pat to the other’s back.

  
The idol pulls away, staring at his eyes for a few heart beats, only to dive back in for another kiss, this time with more determination to make up for the lost time. Jihoon sighs when he moves to pepper light kisses along his face; his forehead, his eyelid, the tip of his nose, lower to his chin, his jaw—

  
The sudden ring of alarm causes them to jolt out of each other’s arms. Seungcheol curses underneath his breath, realizing what it is for.

  
“It’s time for the release,” Jihoon says breathlessly, cheeks still red, giggling softly.

  
“Yeah,” Seungcheol says, moving back to retrieve his phone to turn the alarm off, and sits down on the couch to check on the streaming websites. That’s right, Jihoon thinks, they are still in the reality anyway. The producer takes his own phone and looks through the search engine, trying to see if there are comments about his newly released song.

  
The familiar intro melody leaks into the room, and Jihoon doesn’t have to look up from his phone to know that Seungcheol has taken the initiative to stream the song on speaker. Jihoon takes a screenshot proof of him streaming the song from his own phone and uploads it on instagram.

  
**woozi_universefacory** i wouldn’t mind waiting for ten years🎶 #10_Years #prodbywoozi @sound_of_coups

  
“You wouldn’t?” The older asks, after the mention got into his notification, his smile teasing. The caption he used for his instagram post is a part of the chorus lyrics, his favorite part that he spent a lot of backing vocals improvisations for.

 

Jihoon finds himself mirroring the smile on the older’s face, shaking his head, “No. I _didn’t_ , hyung.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant for Jicheol day celebration (Mar 28, 2019), but I got lazy at the end and had to post a day late ha ha.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it tho! I had fun with the canon bits ;)
> 
> Find me on [twitter](http://www.twitter.com/cheolhuns).


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